Abstract
This paper critically discusses the relation between human mobility and development. It moves away from conventional migration-development policy discussions that mainly focus on diaspora-like actors, who have established a stable and integrated socio-economic position in the destination countries. Instead, it looks at mobility-development dynamics in the context of less privileged and less integrated migrants; Nigerian migrants who are (or have been) living in transit-like situations in the city of Istanbul (Turkey). Based on in-depth interviews with Nigerian migrants, it analyses migrants’ personal developments in the light of their migration trajectories. The analysis particularly shows how upward social mobility is not so much found in onward migration to Europe, but in getting involved in a different form of mobility; informally arranged transnational trade between Turkey and West Africa. It outlines the diverse roles of migrants in this informal trade sector and elaborates on their relations with fly in/fly out traders originating from Africa. With these empirical insights, I conclude that these migrants do not belong to settled diaspora communities, but nevertheless, act as bridges between “here” and “there” and contribute to the creation of (new) development corridors.
Highlights
Transnational mobility is increasingly seen as the motor for sustainable local development
By focusing on transnational trade that is often organized in informal ways, this paper relates to the migration-trade nexus that has predominantly been explored by economists investigating the correlation between stocks of migrants and trade flows
We interviewed 47 migrants from Nigeria (41 men, 6 women), of which 20 have been directly involved in informal transnational trade in Istanbul; 5 others were active in catering services and were indirectly linked to the trade sector, as Nigerian restaurants function as important social nodes where different trade actors meet each other [19]
Summary
Transnational mobility is increasingly seen as the motor for sustainable local development. During this period of immobility, one significant opportunity for migrants to upgrade their socio-economic position in Turkey is to connect with fly-in fly-out traders from Africa in the hope of getting further involved in the emerging transnational trade between Turkey and Nigeria [19,20] From the ways these Nigerians move out of their status of ―involuntary immobility‖ [21] or ―transit‖ [22], we learn that a new form of mobility (trade) can be a welcome alternative for the lack of migration opportunities. By focusing on transnational trade that is often organized in informal ways, this paper relates to the migration-trade nexus that has predominantly been explored by economists investigating the correlation between stocks of migrants and trade flows With regard to the latter, this article does not so much aim to analyze the quantifiable economic benefits of Nigerian migration on the macro-level; its main objective is, instead, to provide an insider perspective into how migrants‘. This paper adds a qualitative dimension to the existing literature on the migration-trade nexus by investigating how migrants create trade connections and how these trade connections help migrants improve their life situations
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